Amarinder Singh's 'clean chit' to Jagdish Tytler draws flak; Sikh groups protest in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Amarinder Singh, Congress' candidate from on the Amritsar constituency on Monday came under twin-attacks from Sikh groups and BJP leader Arun Jaitley for his 'clean chit' to Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 riots.

Protests from Sikh groups broke out at the Congress party headquarters in Delhi over Amarinder Singh's remarks. Meanwhile, Arun Jaitley also slammed the Congress leader questioning his statement that no court has so far held Tytler guilty.

Jaitley also said that those guilty for the "state sponsored" violence still remain unpunished. Describing the "massacre" of innocent Sikhs after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a "black spot" in the democracy, the BJP leader, wrote in his blog, "The fact that the innocents can be killed in thousands is terrible. What is worse is that the guilty went unpunished".

He alleged that the "collusion" of the state was visible. None of the rioters were fired upon by the police, he added.

"They were given a safe passage to loot and kill. For years, the FIRs were not registered. No arrests were made. The violence was politically rationalised by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi," he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday described as "shocking" the reported "clean chit" given by Amarinder Singh to Jagdish Tytler, one of the accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, during a TV interview.

"Today, Amarinder has chosen to stand by those who tortured and killed innocent Sikhs," Badal said.

"Amarinder shamelessly declares that Tyler had no role in the killing of Sikhs. Shock and utter disbelief is what I felt when I was told about this," he said.

Meanwhile, Amarinder in a separate statement issued at Amritsar, criticised the Chief Minister for "misinterpreting" his statement about Tytler vis-a-vis the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

"I have neither given any clean chit to anyone nor do I like to blame someone just because Badal blames him," the Congress leader said.

Amarinder also said that no court has so far held Tytler guilty. "I have only stated what I heard during my visit to the riot hit areas and after meeting people there (in 1984)."

(With inputs from PTI)